Left 2 Die
by calicophoenix
Summary: Skoll, a hunter, is ousted from his pack by another hunter, Shroud. As he heals from his wounds, he discovers a young woman bound to a post in the basement of a cabin. What happens next? Read to find out. Constructive critique is more than welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Hello there, this is my first Left 4 Dead fan fiction ever so creatively titled "Left 2 Die". This title is subject to change if i can think of something that sounds good. Ah yes, disclaimer. I own absolutely nothing related to Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2 except for the characters I designed for this specific story.

Left 2 Die.

The streets of the city were anything but quiet. The sound of hundreds of footsteps echoed off the buildings, and gunshots rang clear. Orders were being shouted from a large, burly man who carried an AK-47. He and his group of seven took refuge inside a deserted jewelry shop, hiding behind the counters. They took turns firing and reloading until the horde had been picked off. Sergeant James Rauther smiled, pleased that the men and women he had come across were going to make it to the safe house.

"Alright people, let's roll out. We're not far," he promised them as he led them through the back room and out into the alley. The group moved silently, ever alert as they moved. An alley could prove to be dangerous if they stuck around too long. Just up ahead though a red door was illuminated and a few had released a breath they hadn't realized they were holding. James rushed them along, having them file inside. It wasn't until he finished counting the survivors that he realized he was one short. Where the hell was Zack? Muttering a curse under his breath, he had the survivors lock the door while he went back to look for the kid.

'_God damn him, I told that little punk ass to stay with the group_…' he thought to himself. James heard labored breathing as he went around the alley corner. Lying against the building was Zack. His shirt was shredded, his face and chest lacerated.

"Pissed off a witch, didn't you?" James shook his head as he pulled out a medical kit and began to patch up the young teen.

"S-sarge…" Zack gurgled as he glanced up, eyes wide with fear. James started when he heard the growling and the death screech. He let out a cry as something landed on him and claws began digging into his flesh. James rammed his elbow into his assailant's rib cage winding him before swinging his fist back and knocking the hunter off. The creature whined and yelped as he was knocked back. He was a scrawny thing, smaller than most hunters the police sergeant had seen. James didn't bother to grab his gun, he grabbed Zack and ran, dragging the wounded teen with him. The red door of the safe room was within reach and he shouted for the survivors to open the door.

The door swung open and two survivors, Raul and Shane, had their guns ready watching for any infected. They heard the coughing of a smoker and glanced up to the rooftops. Sure enough, there was the tall lanky form of a smoker; Raul took aim and one bullet to the head brought down the long tongued monstrosity. James bulldozed past them, dragging Zack close behind them; Shane shut the door and placed the bar over it.

Lisa brought out another medical kit and started to patch up James' wounds, while Mark finished taking care of Zack. The older woman took note of how deep the sergeants wounds were, how many he had accumulated in so short a time. A hunter had done this. James had gotten off lucky, as had Zack. Between the two of them Zack had suffered worse, being such a scraggly boy. James was as strong as an ox and had a build to match, since he was immune he would heal up nicely but he'd carry the scars for the remainder of his life. Lisa sighed and finished wrapping his chest and back with gauze. At the very least, he came back in one piece and with the kid. She offered Zack a sympathetic smile, rubbing his shoulder. Cassandra had searched for something to eat in the safe room and came across some canned goods.

"Looks like we can have some tomato soup, ravioli, and oh, look at this, Vienna sausages…" she called from the pantry below.

"Anything else?" James asked as he limped towards the stairs ignoring Lisa's plea to lay still.

"Anchovies, olives, spinach… And some canned fruit," Cassandra replied carrying some of the cans up the stairs.

"We'll make do. Food is food," he nodded and hobbled back to his cot. After the survivors had their fill, a few had hunkered down. Cassandra and Raul stayed up listening for any approaching threats. Most of that time was spent reading the graffiti on the walls and adding to it. Outside they could hear the coughing of yet another smoker, it was distant though, and chances are the creature wouldn't take an interest in the place. Next to James' cot, his daughter, Natalie, slept or at least tried to. She could hear the coughing of the creature outside. But she could also hear growling and snarling in the alleyway. Hunters. She hated those things… The high school junior curled into a ball and covered her ears, not wanting to hear them as they growled and snarled at one another.

Out in the alleyway two hunters were growling and snarling at each other; the smaller one in the dark purple hoodie bared his teeth at a much larger one in a green and grey hoodie, his Alpha. Shroud despised Skoll with a passion and always felt the urge to sink his claws into the larger males throat. He had lost his meal not too long ago and tried to scavenge off of Skoll who refused to let the Beta steal his kill. It was one thing to steal a kill from a smoker, or other infected; stealing from a fellow hunter, let alone the Alpha of the pack, was usually more trouble than it was worth.

But Shroud would not let it go. He crouched down, his claws itching to sink into the flesh of his leader. Skoll sensed the Beta's aggression and readied himself as the smaller one launched himself at him. Skoll caught him and clawed at Shroud's chest and torso, throwing him off his body. Shroud whimpered and climbed up along the wall, he felt the heavy stomps of a tank not too far off. He grinned and listened as the Alpha pursued him and took off in the direction of the tank once Skoll had reached the top of the building. Skoll was bigger than him, no doubt about that; but Shroud had speed, and the tank would unknowingly lend him the strength he lacked to get rid of Skoll.

He dashed across the city as fast as he could, ignoring the stinging pain in his chest. Up ahead was the tank just at the city's edge, he leapt down quietly, clinging to the wall. Skoll launched himself off the ledge to catch the foolish Beta only to find a really massive tank in front of him. _Tricked_, the word rang through his head. He couldn't speak, or even understand human speech too well, but Skoll still had enough intelligence to realize that Shroud had laid a trap. He went still, his body tense as the behemoth rounded on him with an angry roar. Skoll dodged the tanks first strike, but was distracted from the second one when he heard Shroud's warning cry. Three new hunters had joined his side, Skoll couldn't recognize their scent which meant Shroud had recently brought them into his territory. Before he knew it he was thrown across the parking lot, his body skipping across the concrete like a flat stone on still water. He winced and forced himself to his feet, dodging another attack from the tank as it charged him with an angry cry.

Two of the three new hunters joined the tank in attacking him. He screeched as one tore into his left leg, tearing through the rough fabric of his jeans into skin and muscle. This one still had his eyes, though; it was unfortunate for him, as Skoll raked his claws across them, blinding his adversary. The little prick would have lost them eventually. Skoll yelped as the tank struck again, but this time he at least had another body to shield his. He leapt upon the tanks shoulders, clawing desperately at his face, trying to blind him. He had forgotten about the other hunter and shrieked when it leapt on his back, knocking him off the tank. He felt the claws strike along his jaw and the bridge of his nose. Snarling, Skoll lashed out, catching his attacker by the throat and squeezed, suffocating the weaker hunter. It whimpered and squealed, attempting to break free from a grasp that was as unrelenting as it was unforgiving. Skoll snarled and smashed his forehead against the other hunter's, his teeth sinking into flesh and tearing away the skin and cartilage of his nose.

The hunter screamed and yanked away, Skoll's claws tore open small rivulets into his enemies neck as the attacker crawled off, whimpering in pain. The Alpha spit out the flesh and growled as the tank once again approached. He was growing tired and weak from the fight, his wounds bled freely taking the fire out of him. He attempted to dodge the tank instead of fight it. Just when it seemed the tank would relent he felt the earth shake as the tank ripped up a chunk of concrete and hurled it at him. Skoll attempted to duck but the hunk of rock struck home, sending him over the edge of the empty lot, down the hill, and into the river below…


	2. Chapter 2

And here is chapter 2. I still don't own Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2.

**Chp. 2**

Water was rushing around his battered form, forcing itself into his lungs, his veins, every fiber of his being. Skoll tried to fight off the feeling of sleep, batting his hands up to the surface. Something caught his waist and he gripped the powerful trunk, pulling himself onto land. An old oak tree had bent precariously close to the edge of the river, its powerful roots jutting out from the loam. He hacked and coughed up the dirty water, his body shaking from the pain and cold. Skoll could smell a smoker approaching, it must have thought he was one of them. The hunter snorted and took off into the woods just as day began to break. He huffed and collapsed to his knees; he was so tired. Skoll laid quietly under the cover of several berry bushes. He would be able to rest without interruption from either survivor's or his own kind.

Again the hunter snorted derisively. His own kind had outcast him and with trickery no less. They were too weak to take him on. Shroud had sent two hunters to attack him while he was trying to fend off a tank, and Skoll sent them back to him mutilated and broken. While he couldn't kill the tank, he still managed to ruin two potentially good pack members. He would take back what was his; Shroud, and any other hunter involved, would pay dearly. He wondered how his brothers would accept this turn of events. Shroud had obviously been prepared to take over the pack. What would come of his territory? Skoll worked hard to keep his brothers fed and fought off invading hunters from taking their prey.

The hunter allowed an irritated growl to escape him as he settled down in the brush. The sun had risen high in the sky now and warmed his battered form. His left leg still ached a bit but it would be better in a day or so. Many times survivors had run by, the guns popping and crackling off shots in the distance. He groaned and placed his hands over his ears, the noise irritating him. The sky was beginning to darken and he caught the scent of rain. He let out a small huff of breath and began to seek out better shelter. Skoll avoided going near the survivors, knowing they would kill him on sight. He'd be damned before he let himself fall to a human in battle.

Thunder rolled above him and he felt the first droplets of rain along his back. Growling to himself, he discovered a cabin off in the distance. It was quiet out there, no movement to be heard. The rain ruined his ability to sniff out anything else while he ran through the field, but as he crawled on all fours up the steps to the large wooden deck the smell of blood struck him. It wasn't the blood of other infected, but rather the smell of prey blood. Something didn't seem right though. As he pushed past the ajar door he felt a chill run up his spine. There was a heady smell of liquor and smoke and what also seemed to be burnt flesh. All around him there were men asleep, some holding bottles others were clutching to rifles and shot guns as though they were teddy bears.

Skoll didn't bother with them, surprisingly enough. He was well outnumbered yet again. Quietly he crawled down the hall way towards another open door where the stench of blood and burnt flesh was stronger. He managed to pounce down the steps and crawl through the darkness. It was humid down there, his forehead already beading with sweat. For a moment he thought he heard whimpering; taking a chance, he clicked his claws against the cement floor allowing his heightened senses to reach out and "see" what was down there. There was a man sitting in a wooden chair, his head tilted down in slumber a bottle of liquor clutched in his hand. Across from him, body strung against a support beam, was a woman. As Skoll approached, he heard her gasp and struggle against her bonds. Her blouse was torn open, and she wore no pants. Along her body were bruises and burn marks, and her figure appeared almost emaciated. She was sitting on her knees, thighs spread open wide, the ropes cutting into her skin a bit.

As he came closer she felt panic rise, but she couldn't make a sound, not without provoking him. The girl, Terra, had encountered a few hunters before her tormentors came along, but this one was by far the biggest she had ever come across. And like most of his kind he looked like a vicious, rabid creature. If this was to be her salvation, the end to her long three months of suffering, she offered a silent prayer to any deity willing to listen. _Let this be quick_. The hooded creature stopped in front of her, inhaling a little bit and uttering a low growl as he circled her. She could only turn her head so far, the rope around her bruised neck was tied tight enough to cut into her flesh. Skoll didn't understand the situation. Survivors were known for sticking together in packs, much like he and his brothers. So why was this pack member bound? She didn't look like a threat at all.

Then again, neither did Shroud, and he had nearly killed him. But why hadn't they simply killed her if she had tried to overtake the pack? Skoll sniffed along Terra's wrists, nipping at the ropes drawing a surprised whimper from the small female. He uttered a low snarl in her ear, quieting her. He went back to gnawing off the remaining ropes and he nearly jumped when her body suddenly slumped forwards. He crawled to her side and brushed her short curly hair from her face; her eyes were clenched shut as if in pain. He nudged her, urging her up.

_Up, up, up._

As he continued to inspect her he came across a very familiar smell, a smell his brothers carried every now and then after returning from spending some time with a witch. It seemed as though they were trying to breed her and took to attacking her in the same vein. The males of her pack betrayed her just as Shroud had betrayed him. Her eyes opened then and she shrank away from him, fearing his very presence. The hunter merely snorted and gripped her torn sleeve, preventing her from going any farther. Before either of them could struggle with one another, the man in the chair coughed and the girl's eyes widened with fear. Skoll rounded quickly on the man before he took notice of the creature, sinking his teeth into his throat and clenching down. He ripped out his throat with a sickening squelch.

The room went silent once more as Skoll chewed contently on the flesh of his victim whose body twitched in its death throes. Across from him the girl looked like she was going to be sick. Quietly, Terra crawled away from him, reaching the bottom of the stairs. Skoll glanced up from his meal and "watched" the girl try to scramble up the stairs. She was a strong one indeed to be attempting to get up the stairs hurt as she was. He frowned when he noticed she wasn't standing, or even attempting to, like survivor's usually did. After tearing off another strip of flesh he got off the dead man and stalked towards her; she was halfway up when she stopped suddenly, her head hanging low. The girl was exhausted. Skoll climbed the stairs and stayed behind her, nudging her forward with his palm. She curled a bit, recoiling from his very touch. The hunter huffed his breath and nudged her again.

When Terra refused to move, he grew impatient and gripped the scruff of her blouse, dragging her up the stairs and dropping her unceremoniously on the landing. Idly she wondered why he hadn't pounced and slaughtered her. In any other situation she would be dead fifty times over. This hunter was certainly an oddball. Skoll stopped in front of her and leaned in closer, cocking his head to the side as he sniffed at her again. She was such a helpless pup without him. He tugged on her sleeve again urging her to come with him. Terra had no idea what he wanted, but if it meant leaving this hell hole she was more than willing to follow. Even if it meant he would kill her later, she didn't care; the girl felt she was close enough to death anyways. This thing would just make it quicker for her. Well, maybe. Hunters were notorious for taking their time in tearing up their victim's if there were no other infected around. He guided her down the hall into the living room where she froze.

The men were still asleep, but she couldn't help but to still her body. Skoll tugged on her anxiously and she numbly followed, her voice having abandoned her for the time being. Outside of the cabin the rain had stopped, and a light fog had settled over the land. The hunter kept tugging her along a winding path. She started making weird grunting noises, her body shaking with every step; it was as though her mind refused to believe she just walked out of what had been a living nightmare. When they reached a hill top she glanced back at the cabin, so far away from her but still so close in her mind. Skoll uttered a low growl and yanked a little on the hem of her blouse; once he had her attention he pointed down the hill. She squinted and noted there was a safe house not too far away. Without further prodding Terra began to move on her own towards it.

She staggered past the threshold and collapsed on her knees. The large hunter stalked past her, sniffing out his new surroundings. Terra closed the door behind her and secured it with the steel bar. Grabbing a nearby blanket, she curled up and began to fall into a deep sleep. Skoll sniffed at her again and then laid next to her, snoozing soundly. It had occurred to him down in that basement that she was the same as him: hurt and cast out by her own kind.

**/**

Heh, hope you guys liked this chapter. For the record, I hope I made it obvious that Skoll didn't kill that man out of revenge but rather panic. And to prevent him from alerting the other survivors. Read and review! :3


	3. Chapter 3

Chp. 3

James groaned a bit as he sat up on his cot. He smiled at the sleeping form of his little girl and gently cupped her cheek. She looked just like her mother. James shook his head, not wanting to think back on losing Myra. He stood and realized his teammates were already having some breakfast before setting out. The nearest evacuation center was a bit far since they were moving on foot. However, if the weather didn't drastically change during the trek, they may yet make it out of this alive. It was hard enough fighting the infected in a downpour. He stretched and winced, remembering his fight with the hunter from the previous night. James had no illusions that he got off easy; had that thing been stronger or worked with a pack James wouldn't be with his team.

Across from him he saw Lisa helping Zack sit up, holding a canteen of water to his lips. He drank slowly and saved some for everyone else, gently pushing the canteen away before giving Lisa a grateful nod as he tried to stand. Natalie stirred and rose from her cot; she didn't look like she got much rest. All the same, her face lit up when food was offered to her. Mark and Cassandra began to reload their weapons while Raul peered through the bars of the backdoor. He was looking out for any other infected in the area and he was happy to report most of them were common infected, and that only a few were witches idly sitting around and wailing. Shane worked on packing more supplies into the medical kits since he was worried about Zack and James' wounds.

"So what's our itinerary, boss?" Raul asked with a chuckle as he loaded his pistols, earning a snort from the older man.

"We'll head south across the bridge, there's an evac station further down with our names on it. If we're lucky, we'll be picked up and taken to a refugee camp." James replied as he grabbed his hunting rifle. A few uncertain murmurs arose from the team. They had heard of the new special infected that dwell further down south and were none too excited about encountering them. The current special infected were bad enough, but monsters such as chargers, jockeys, and spitters would only serve to make things even more difficult. Not only that but they had heard reports over the radio of tanks and chargers massacring survivors at the same time, either killing the entire group or leaving it down to one or two people lucky enough to escape.

James sensed their hesitance and spoke up, "We've all been through a lot these past three months. Many of us started out alone. Mark you were taking up shelter in an over turned RV for two weeks, picking off infected like ants before we found you. And Lisa, had it not been for you taking a bat to that hunter's head, I would be dead right now. One thing that's brought us together and has taken us so far along is the will to live. We _will_ make it to the evacuation center."

"Shouldn't we try and see if we can't hot wire a vehicle at the very least?" Shane asked from the table stacked with ammo, "It would get us down south quicker, and we'd be safer from the infected."

Cassandra nodded, "True, it would be faster. But at the same time we have to worry about the roads being blocked by traffic. Many people abandoned their cars as the infection took over them. Not to mention if we break into a car, we risk setting off the alarms and pissing off a lot of zombies."

"We can handle the horde", answered Raul, shrugging on his jacket.

Natalie shook her head and piped up, "It isn't the horde that has me worried so much as it is attracting a tank. With all the cars laying around, we won't have to worry about him throwing chunks of concrete at us…"

A few murmurs of agreement met her and Shane idly wondered if it would be worth it at all. It was up to James to decide.

"We'll see if we can't hoof it all the way down south. If we can hotwire a car, or more likely a truck, we'll take a chance at least once", James stated as he picked up his M-16 assault rifle and slung the strap around his torso, "Now, if we're all ready, let's get going."

**XX**

The first thing Terra was aware of was the warm breath on the nape of her neck. As she turned over, she came face to face with a hunter. A mute scream escaped her and she crawled away, clutching the blanket to her body. It hadn't even moved, her sudden motions hadn't awakened it. Her false sense of security soon withered as the creature before her let out a long yawn, allowing its blood flecked tongue to loll out. She began to remember the events of the previous day. That thing before her had gotten her out of the basement where those monsters had kept her. But why? Hunters were killing machines, pouncing on and shredding anything that moved. But this one… It stretched out much like a cat would do, grunting a bit as limbs popped and muscles contracted with his motions.

The hooded monster turned to her and sniffed at her a moment, recognizing her scent. He turned and went about exploring the safe house. She searched for something to at least clothe her bottom half. At the very least she could tie her blouse a bit. Outside were the moans of the infected as they bumbled about aimlessly. Perhaps another day of rest would be for the best, but she decided against it. Those men could be searching for her, it wouldn't be wise to stick around and wait to find out. As she searched the house she came across a discarded pair of men's jeans. It was certainly better than nothing. As she dressed herself she felt as though she was being watched. She turned and let out a squeak of fear as the hunter stood crouched a few feet behind her. Terra backed up a bit since Skoll's presence made her nervous. He grunted and motioned to the door.

_Open_.

Terra took a step and felt the jeans fall past her hips. She gripped them and yanked them back up, her face flushing with embarrassment. After taking a bit of rope laying under a chair, she ran it through the belt loops and tied it secure to her waist. Again Skoll let out a soft yelp, motioning to the door. If she didn't know any better, it almost sounded like he'd said "HEY". After pulling on some shoes and grabbing a crowbar, she opened the door. Skoll brushed past her and began to walk down to the forest path. Terra went her own way, moving farther away from the cabin and Skoll. The hunter noticed her scent was drifting away and so he bounded back up the hill to bring her along with him.

Terra heard him taking pursuit and started to run as fast as she could down the road. She wasn't as fast as she used to be, having only rested a while and found nothing to eat while in the safe house. She let out a cry of pain and fear as the large hunter pounced and tackled her with ease. His hands were planted on her shoulder blades and his hips rested just over the small slope of her rear end. The memories came flashing back into Terra's mind and she rounded on him, suddenly lashing out, the side of her palm striking his jaw and stunning him a bit. Skoll stumbled back and let out a confused grunt as he rolled onto all fours, growling at her.

Did she not understand that he was her pack leader? Skoll growled again as she raised the crowbar with shaky limbs to defend herself. He smirked as he realized her arms were too weak to really do anything. That backlash she'd dealt was only powered by a sudden wave of panic, nothing more. He tensed his body and prepared to pounce again. Terra felt her heart racing. This thing was just tormenting her now. She stood on shaky legs and the creature watched her confusedly before mimicking her. Skoll stood a good extra two feet over Terra, making her feel like a mouse at the mercy of a lion. He bared his teeth and she cringed at the red staining them, recalling how he'd sank them into Randall's throat. The sound of Terra's stomach growling caught his attention.

So that was it. His pack member was hungry and needed food. She wanted to find prey, not leave him behind. He could hear a squirrel just behind her climbing down a tree. Without hesitation he pounced and crushed the tiny creature's body under his palm. Clenching the tail between his teeth, Skoll trotted back next to her and laid the dead animal at her feet. Terra gave him a skeptical stare, not understanding at first what his intention was with the squirrel. Then it dawned on her: he expected her to eat it. For the first time, Terra spoke to him.

"I can't eat that."

Skoll cocked his head, confused. She refused to eat what he caught for her? By her motions, he noticed she was pointing down the road. She was searching for food down that way. Perhaps it would be a good idea to head farther away from his territory for the time being; he was still healing after all. And maybe more hunters would take an interest and go back with him when he was ready to slaughter Shroud and his followers. When it seemed Skoll had relented, Terra breathed a sigh of relief and began to trek down the road, listening for other infected.

**XX**

Natalie was exhausted as they traveled along the highway, the sun beat down on her back irritating her further. She couldn't say anything to her father because she didn't want to hold anyone up just because she was tired. The only other thing that kept her going was the infected and getting as much distance between them and herself as possible. Besides, her dad had said they were on their way to an evacuation rendezvous; once they made it they would be carried off to safety, possibly an island. Zack fell back with her, his wounds beginning to have an effect on him. He tried to make conversation with her and noticed her responses were slow and somewhat slurred. Natalie only shrugged off his concern, assuring him she would be fine.

The group came to a stop in front of a wide range of open road. There were only a few cars piled along the road now, not bumper to bumper like it had been for the past twenty-five miles. It seemed James was willing to give Shane's idea to hot wire a vehicle a chance. The ex-librarian managed to pull it off without a hitch. One van window was rolled down just enough for him to unlock the door and climb in.

"You're serious? We're traveling down south in a mini-van?" Raul practically balked at the idea as he reloaded his gun and helped to keep watch for any infected.

"It's available, Raul," Mark chuckled as he handed the other man the water canteen, "Besides, it can carry all of us along quicker and we'll save up on ammo for the time being."

"In other words, it's better than nothing," Cassandra chimed in, stretching out her legs a bit, "Can't wait for Shane to get that baby hot wired, my feet are killing me."

She didn't have to wait long before they all heard the tell tale signs of the ignition sounding along the quiet highway. Not long after that they heard the high pitched howl of the infected heading right towards them.

"Everybody get in the van, we're taking off now!" James ordered as he ushered Natalie into the back seat, letting Shane take his place as the driver. For now at least. The van took off down the road with a whole swarm on their tail. As Natalie had predicted the rough roar of an oncoming tank erupted from behind the infected, spurring Shane to step on the pedal. Raul and Mark opened the sun roof and took aim, blasting the over muscular abomination. Even with the tank in pursuit many common infected kept pace and some managed to latch on to the bumper of the car. Cassandra had opened up the trunk window and put a bullet into their heads before they even had a chance to climb up after the two men. The tank was beginning to gain on the van, and the three shooters were becoming desperate. Mark traded his machine gun for Zack's hunting rifle; at the right moment he took a shot and struck the tank in the forehead. The great beast fell to the asphalt, dead.

The survivors settled down as the horde began to slow down and lose interest. After about a half hour, they had lost sight of the infected. Natalie sighed with relief and slowly closed her eyes, falling asleep to the hum of the vehicle's engine. James gave Shane a pat on the shoulder and a friendly smile to which the youth returned. The sun was beginning to set, allowing some of the survivors to rest in the back as Shane and James stayed alert. The two said nothing for a long time but as the evening wore on into night, the sound of thunder brought them to attention.

"Fuck, a storm's brewing…" Shane grumbled as rain began to patter against the windshield, "And we're running low on gas."

James muttered a curse of his own as lightning flashed across the sky, "There's a gas station up ahead, just take the next exit. I'll get everyone up."

The sergeant unbuckled his seat belt and turned around, gently shaking Mark's knee, rousing him from his sleep. James urged him to wake up Raul and the others, explaining their situation. Within moments everyone was fully awake, weapons loaded, their faces determined. James couldn't be any prouder of his team; there was not a word of complaint, not even from Zack. Shane soon pulled up to the gas station and gave the convenience store the once over. Inside, the lights were flickering; despite the attention it would probably attract, it was a sign there was still power. The group stumbled out of the van, checking for signs of infected nearby. So far there were no threats to be found and so Mark began pumping gas into the van.

"Let me try and find a gas container or two," Raul murmured to him, "There's bound to be a few laying around. It would be for the best to get what we can and stop as little as possible."

"Not a bad idea," James agreed, checking the safety on his pistols, "Let me come with you. This place is too quiet for its own good."

Once Mark was done filling the tank, he followed the other men while the others stayed behind to search for food and drinks. Raul felt the same as James, the place was definitely too quiet. There had to have been something lurking in the dark waiting for them… He swallowed nervously as they went around the back to find several dead bodies; upon further inspection, they discovered the cadavers were that of the infected. That didn't make any of them relax, though; these infected hadn't been shot but instead slashed to death.

"Witch… Lights out," James muttered, feeling his blood chill. As they went on towards the storehouse, they spotted her just sitting in the threshold. The constant crying and sniffling as she hugged her seemingly frail body would have been enough to make anyone think she was docile. At least until she turned rabid and had to be put down. While it was a morbid thought, they had gas tanks to find and she was a nasty obstacle. Before James took aim to try and crown her, Mark put his hand on the sergeants arm, stopping him.

"Wait, we can do this without setting her off… Let's try and see if we can't go around first. If we can't, then we'll cap her," he offered glancing nervously at the bawling, infected woman. After a moment James relented and led them around the side of the storehouse. Sure enough there was a door, it was locked, but James managed to kick it in right off the hinges. They aimed their weapons, ready for anything, but no, nothing was there save for the witch. Lightning continued to flash, illuminating their way through the storehouse. Something red flashed in the sudden spark of light and they discovered four empty gas tanks.

"Alright, grab them and let's get the hell out of here…" Mark murmured quietly as he kept a lookout for any other infected. James and Raul took two cans each as Mark kept them covered on the way back to the van. They returned to find the rest of their group carrying an icebox loaded with a little bit of food mainly comprised of frozen hotdogs and bags of beef jerky. Perhaps stopping here wasn't so bad after all, James thought to himself as he started pumping gas into the two cans. Natalie handed him a bottle of water and smiled wearily, her tiredness was beginning to show through. He had her go back to the van as he finished off the second tank and carried them back to the trunk.

"We managed to grab some ice, it should keep the hotdogs preserved a bit longer. The chicken they had sitting out was spoiled, unfortunately. There was plenty of water so we should be set on our way down…" Cassandra read off the list as James took the wheel for Shane.

"I found some pills," Lisa piped up from the very back, "and I found a few medical supplies. Nothing like what we found at the hospital, but it should suffice."

"Think we'll make it, sergeant?" Zack asked from behind James.

"We'll get as far as we can with the van… I'll be honest though, I don't think gas is really going to be that much of a problem," he replied quietly, pulling out his pistol.

"What is the problem then?" Zack asked, panic rising up in him.

James turned the ignition and flicked on the headlights at their lowest level to reveal a flock of infected standing in the rain, "_That_…"

**/**

Alrighty, here is chapter 3. I'm trying to keep the story of James and his survivors balanced out with Terra traveling with Skoll. I'm not sure if I'll ever have them meet up with the survivors from Left 4 Dead/Left 4 Dead 2. As always, read and review. And don't be shy to offer constructive critique.


	4. Chapter 4

And here is chapter 4. =) This chapter focuses a bit more on Skoll and Terra for the time being. Right now I'm brain storming on what to do next for chapter 5. As I said before I want to keep a healthy balance between each group of survivors so it isn't always Terra and Skoll or James and his crew in the spotlight. ;) Maybe I'll mention someone else instead. Who knows...? 8D

Left 2 Die.

Chp. 4

Despite her fears, Terra had the fortune of Skoll shadowing her movements even if he did disturb her. She ran into quite a few infected on the way to town and managed to fight them off only because he had her back. Many times Skoll would pounce on an enemy and tear at them like he would to a survivor before they even came close enough to her. It was odd that he kept pushing her on and took to dragging her if she didn't move fast enough. As they moved along the road, Terra heard the strained coughing of a smoker and muttered a curse, sticking closer to Skoll instinctively. She dearly wished she could get her hands on a gun or two; her old ones were back at the cabin and there was no way she would go back to that hell hole. The coughing became louder as the two traversed up the hill.

There… Just up ahead was the tall figure of a smoker staggering up the hill. Skoll let out a snarl and she willed him to be quiet. If the smoker didn't notice her, she could avoid a fight. Smokers could let out a loud shriek upon spotting survivors, and that alert rarely went unnoticed by the other infected. Skoll glanced up at her and she gently tugged him to the side, keeping out of the creature's line of sight. He was confused. She did not want to kill the smoker? Another growl left him as he jerked from her grip and he pounced, letting out his trademark scream as he landed on the smoker's back. It let out a cry of surprise and then went silent when Skoll quickly snapped his neck with those powerful jaws.

'_Jesus H Christ_…' Terra thought to herself as she fought to control the sudden wave of panic at the hunters impulsive attack. She crept up the hill, avoiding the large cloud of smoke left behind by Skoll's fallen enemy. He sneezed and coughed, frequently rubbing at his face as he crept out of the smoke cloud to follow his pack member. Just down the hill was the bridge leading to the town. And there were several infected waiting. Of course… She mumbled a curse and got her crowbar ready as she and Skoll charged down the road. It didn't take long for the infected to notice her. Terra swung with all her might, busting jaws, cracking open skulls, and even stabbing a few in the face with the narrow end of her weapon. Already though, she was growing weary. Skoll showed them no mercy, they were as much prey to him as any survivor would be.

It was easier for him to shred into the infected though. They were too stupid to realize one of their own had turned on them before it was too late. A familiar high pitched howl echoed from the forest and he snarled, grabbing his pack member by the wrist and dragging her across the bridge. The horde was closing in on them fast. Letting out a frustrated growl he hoisted Terra over his shoulder and leaped up to the roof of a café before jumping to the neighboring building. It would take the horde a while to climb up the buildings, and by then he would be long gone. In most circumstances he would have stayed to fight, but Skoll knew from experience that when too many infected gathered in one spot it would draw the interest of a tank. The hunter was still aching from his last tussle with one.

As he ascended to the highest building and set his pack member down, he could hear the faint snarling of another hunter. Skoll bared his teeth and listened for the rival as it approached. The hunter would have chuckled if he could remember to do such a thing, for the hunter that appeared to him was little more than a pup. It snarled at Terra and prepared to pounce but Skoll caught him easily by the scruff of his black hoodie. It almost made Terra sick; the boy looked to be only eight years old… And there he hung in the larger hunter's grip, swinging wildly and almost throwing a fit, letting out tiny outraged howls. Skoll grinned and tossed the pup to the side, sitting on his haunches beside Terra. The small hunter rolled onto his hand and knees, appearing as if he was ready to pounce again before Skoll uttered a threatening growl staving off the young hunters intentions to attack.

Terra glanced over the ledge of the building and spotted two very familiar things. One was the gun shop, which she hoped wasn't completely raided. The other was the bright red door of the safe house about two blocks beyond the shop. If she could grab some guns she'd fare _much_ better in combat. With a disappointed groan she realized they were rather high up. The hunter who followed her probably wouldn't carry her on his back all the way down the building, which meant they would have to do more fighting. Her stomach growled again and she made a mental note to find something to eat.

Skoll heard her stomach again and glanced at his pack member. He nudged her back and spared a threatening gnash of teeth at the smaller hunter who remained submissively on his stomach. She opened the door of the stairwell and let out a gasp at the arrival of a rather tall smoker. He let out a surprised cough before stumbling back away from her. That gave Skoll the time he needed before pouncing and tearing the creature's throat out with his claws. Terra coughed and waved the smoke from her eyes as she hurried down the steps. Another infected met her crowbar, then another and another; the shriek of the hunter nearly drowned out the screams of the infected as she fought for her life. '_Stab, swing, kick, do what you must..._' she told herself. Before long there were dead bodies laying at her feet, though many were due to Skoll's own savagery.

She realized she was running on borrowed time and adrenaline, so Terra began to dash down the road with Skoll behind her. She needed guns, she needed food, and she needed shelter. One day of rest was barely enough for her and had it not been for Skoll she would probably be dead. Hell, if he never came along she would still be bound to the post in the basement. As the darkness of those memories began to creep into her mind she felt herself slow down, her mind falling into a dark pit of terror. Suddenly, Skoll grabbed her and dragged her into an empty alley. Terra was about to struggle and protest but he clapped a dirty, bloody palm over her mouth. As the panic and terror began to drift away she realized that the ground was steadily shaking beneath her feet…

'_Oh no. Not here, not now…_' she thought as she stilled in the hunters hold.

Two hulking beasts charged down the road and past the alley way where Skoll and Terra were hiding. It seemed as though the tanks did not notice the pair, lucky for them. Tanks were notorious for their tenacity to get to their prey, exercising primal aggression in their pursuit. As they remained still for several more minutes, she had to admit the hunter really was looking out for her. Terra carefully pried his hand from her mouth, hoping he would understand she knew to keep quiet. After a moment the hunter relented but still held her close until he felt the danger had completely passed them. Letting out a soft growl, he released her and followed her along the sidewalk into the gun shop. As she predicted the place was raided nearly bone dry. But there in the corner, illuminated under the flickering fluorescent light's, lay two guns: a shotgun and a hunting rifle.

Here are the weapons, now would there be any _ammo_ for them? Terra grabbed both guns, slinging the rifle's strap around her torso, noting with grim realization how heavy it felt to carry these weapons now. Remembering her time was borrowed, she went about searching the store for ammuntion. The aisles were a mess of scattered boxes, gleaming with littered shells of all kinds each of them used and useless to her. She found she was lucky enough to find two boxe of shotgun shells and half a box of rifle ammo. Terra loaded both the rifle and the shot gun, and went about searching for anything else that would be useful. In the back of the store was a busted counter in which lay a single hunting knife; she grabbed that too, out of instinct. Outside Terra could hear the unintelligible growling of the infected. They must have caught her scent. As long as they didn't see her she should be okay; it wouldn't take long for them to bust through the glass once they caught the sight of prey.

Skoll snarled and skulked to the back of the store where his pack member was. She opened the door to the back room and cursed as four infected ran at her. She brought up her crowbar and struck at them, watching the blood fly and feeling it splash against her skin. Terra motioned for Skoll to follow her before closing the door behind him. She could have shot those four infected but then she would risk alerting the swarm of infected outside that she was right under their noses. The hunter had noticed she now carried those odd sticks his prey usually brought with them. He knew from experience what came from the sticks, how they had left odd rocks embedded in his body and his pack brothers. She hadn't turned and used it on him though. His pack member was an oddity, but perhaps she also recognized they were the same. Skoll merely smirked and kept a close vigil on her.

Terra noticed there was a mini fridge in the employee lounge, yet there was no power. The chances of there being something fresh to eat were very slim, but there may be something to at least drink. She opened fridge and shut it immediately. It was overrun with maggots feasting on rotten meat… Terra moved on, ignoring the hunger and wave of nausea that continued to churn in her stomach. As they left the store through the back exit, she heard the gurgling belches of a boomer and at first looked upwards to see if the morbidly obese creature was skulking atop the roofs waiting for prey to come along. No… Instead she, for this was a "boomette", was at the end of the alley, blocking Terra's way out. The other end was blocked by chain link fencing. Terra aimed and took the shot, blowing the creature's head off, resulting in the rest of her body exploding, spraying her foul bile on the walls and pavement. The survivor kept her shotgun ready, blasting through the now alerted infected as she and Skoll tore down the street. The safe house was within reach, and she felt a faint flicker of hope emerge in her pounding heart.

'_Almost there, almost there, almost there, almost, almost..._' was her mantra as she pushed her body to its limits. Skoll had slowed considerably to keep from leaving her behind; he knew where she was heading though. Another place where prey usually stayed for the night… Terra passed the threshold with him in tow and she slammed the door closed, placing the bar on it. He could hear her heart pounding wildly as she stumbled around the safe room and noted a sudden "jump" in the rhythm as she gasped. He crouched, ready to pounce and kill if she missed an infected with her stick. But that wasn't what made her gasp. It was the few canned goods sitting in the corner. Terra stumbled over to the small pile, falling to her knees as she pulled out the hunting knife and cut open the first can, a can of spinach. She wound up cutting her fingers on the torn metal a little as she peeled the cover upwards but barely cared for that as she started shoveling the leafy vegetable into her mouth.

'_Easy…not too much or too fast…_' she reminded herself as she slowed down her gorging. It was then she noticed Skoll was watching her, his head tilted to the side, blood smeared mouth curved in a curious frown. She resumed eating, a little slower this time, and began feeling a bit of relief all around. The hunter stalked towards her and she froze in mid-chew, nervous of what it was doing this time. He sniffed at her making confused grunts before sitting in front of her in his crouched position. Skoll nudged the hand she used to eat with before laying down across from her, stretching out. His hoodie pulled up a bit with his motions, revealing a little of his lower back. It had a few scars, some of them looked as though there were still bullets embedded where the flesh had healed over.

Terra found herself frozen to the spot, the can gripped firmly in her hand as the darkness in her mind started creeping forward. She looked down at her arms, noted some of the scars left over from cigarette burns. The pounding in her brain urged her to close her eyes to ease away the pain, but she refused, for she was far too scared of what she may open them up to once the pain subsided. Her hands shook and she swore it felt like her very bones rattled, sending out hollow rings. Terra clutched at her head, biting her bottom lip, fighting the urge to whimper lest she attract the attention of the sleeping hunter. And then, quite unwittingly, she closed her eyes, hot tears pouring down her cheeks. Already the rough, hard voices, and the horrible memories with which they were held in, came to her. For a second she could feel the tightness of the rope encircling her limbs, her muscles stretching as her body was sprawled out for them…

_No_!

A sudden stabbing pain shot up from her thumb to her forearm and she opened her eyes. She had pierced her thumb on a piece of the torn can by mistake. Or quite possibly in her subconscious she may have done it to draw herself out of the memories. It didn't matter to her as she tended the small wound; anything to keep her mind off it all. Terra realized the hunter was sitting up, staring at her. She almost felt irritated with him, it seemed like he was constantly observing her. After cleaning the cut and placing a small band-aid on it she resumed eating her spinach, then finished it off before hitting another can. Terra expressed the closest thing to a smile as she held the can of yams and then carved off the top with the knife peeling up the cover a little more carefully this time. She reached in and nibbled on the first slice, enjoying the taste. After filling her belly she laid down in the corner, finding no blankets this time around. As she laid on the musty cement floor, she wondered for a moment what she was to do now… She found guns, ammunition, and even got something to eat after what felt like forever.

Terra stifled a yawn, blinking slowly as she counted the cracks in the ceiling. She recalled hearing the government setting up refugee camps for the immune and special facilities prepared for those who needed to be quarantined. That would be for the best, she decided. Many of the refugee camps were situated on islands far, far away from the infected. Unless they mutated further allowing them to sprout wings or swim the vast oceans. As highly unlikely as that sounded, Terra had to remember she was in a zombie apocalypse. Just about anything was possible, it seemed. Rain began to fall outside leaving a gentle rhythm before a loud clap of thunder shook the sky, startling the hunter from his sleep. Skoll was up in an instant before he realized it was what he recognized as a "sky sound". He looked over to his pack member to see she was settled for the night and crawled over next to her, laying his head on her stomach. Terra stiffened, not at all liking the idea of having him so close, even as his body helped to warm her own.

The young survivor noted that he smelled pretty bad, all of him seemed to be blood and ashes… She wrinkled her nose, trying to lever him off her body, but instead he growled so she stilled herself. His hoodie was very dirty and, as she carefully lifted the dark green fabric, his face was too. There were scars running halfway down his cheeks, his long black bangs covering his eyes. Terra noted with grim amusement that he had a small scruff of a black beard just along his chin. It reminded her of her late brother Jordan. The creature stirred, uttering a small, softer growl this time, and she lowered the hood, resting her hands just under her chest. She decided she would try to tune out his presence, ignore him practically sleeping on top of her as that would be the only way she would get a wink of sleep. Slowly, Terra closed her eyes, letting herself fall into a dreamless void.

**/**

**_Wow_, did a lot of editing for this chapter before uploading it. Originally I had her find quite a few boxes of bullets, but I felt that would have been annoying lucky streak and takes away from there being conflict. She had already found guns and some food once she made it to the safe house, I needed something to again keep things in balance. I'm not going to do the whole flashback thing for her very often either as that can be _quite_ annoying and detracts from the plot.**

**To all of you who have reviewed thank you all so very much for your encouragement! And especially DeviltobeLoved for suggesting I add in some extra descriptive detail. I'll try to edit the previous chapters to give them a bit more "oomph" as I call it. =) As always, read and review an don't be shy to give me some constructive critique. :3**


	5. Chapter 5

Annnd we're back! Sorry I've taken forever and a half to update but my fall classes kept me more than just a little busy. ^^; I'm back in school again but this semester isn't nearly as stressful for me as the last one was. Anyways, I put in a part for both Terra and Skoll and James' survivor team. Also, I decided to give some insight as to what happened with Terra and how she came to be in the situation Skoll found her in.

And now without further ado, Chapter 5.

**Chp 5**.

The moment James had turned on the head lights of the minivan the horde was upon them, shrieking and bashing against the doors and windows with vicious depravity. It was Raul who opened up the sun roof and began picking off the horde followed by Shane. It wasn't enough to kill off the infected, but it was effective enough to give James and the rest of their group the chance to get out of the van and open fire.

Natalie and Zack had been ordered to remain in the van and pass over some ammunition so the others wouldn't have the trouble of searching for rounds to reload with. Deep down, Zack had been grateful he had been told to stay within the safety of the van. The wounds he had suffered from the hunter attack two days ago had left him aching. Cassandra had cleaned and wrapped his wounds for him back at the gas station before everyone had agreed to search for supplies. She had mentioned that his wounds would be better off with some stitches since moving around as much as he was only served to open the wounds again. The boy sniffed a bit and grabbed a bottle of the pills Lisa had found in the convenience store and popped two.

Zack handed the police sergeant another round of ammo. Most of the infected had been picked off by now and James ordered the group to take out any other infected. He had an admiration and respect for James. When he was a small boy he wanted to be a policeman and catch robbers and help his community out. He wanted to be just like James, a man worthy of respect. Zack gave James another round of ammo, taking a moment to observe the difference between them. James was a hulk of a man, no doubt he could probably snap Zack's arm like a twig if he wanted. Zack rubbed his arms, feeling their boney thinness under the tattered fabric of his plaid shirt. He felt useless and weak… The infected had all been picked off by now, and the survivors who had left the van to take down more of the infected with both melee and gunfire to assist them returned with a few cuts and bruises. The battle had been won with no casualties on their end, and they were prepared to leave before a loud wail cut through the air.

"What the hell was that?" Cassandra voiced what they had all been wondering.

"It can't be a tank," Raul muttered uneasily as he prepared for another fight. Zack had left the van to help patch Raul up, working as quick as he could. The man pressed Zack to the side as the great beast barreled through the trees, its gleaming yellow eyes fixed on one of the survivors. It raised its great arm as the survivors began blasting it with their firearms. It chose the biggest survivor out of the group and it charged him with a speed the humans hadn't thought a creature of its size or odd proportions capable. James' eyes widened as he kept shooting, trying to slow the monster down as it reached out for him with its massive arm. Instead of receiving the blow of the incoming attack, his weight suddenly shifted to the left and he crashed against the van door.

Zack let out a cry of pain as he felt the ribs on his right side crunch from the brutal impact while the giant's mutated hand clutched him like a rag doll, slamming him against the concrete. For a moment all he could see were stars, then the face of the giant infected when it twisted into a nasty snarl as his body was lifted and smashed once, twice, three times, four times against the pavement. Each time he saw bits of his life flashing before his eyes, and he could vaguely hear the cries of his friends beyond the white veil that seemed to blanket over his sight with each strike of his body against the ground. He heard gunshots and he thought he felt the creatures hold on him relax. Before long it had fallen onto its backside, letting out a groan of agony before breathing its last breath.

Lisa was the first at his side with a medical kit, and faintly in the darkness she could make out the smear of his blood on the pavement as well as small clumps of his curly black hair. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as Shane brought over a flashlight and shone it down on the wounded teen. His blue eyes were glassy and he had blood smeared down the corners of his mouth. But he was still breathing, that was something Lisa noted with relief. Zack blinked slowly trying to fight the pained tears from escaping with little luck. His skull throbbed as did his broken ribs. As Lisa began to clean his wounds a wave of nausea struck him and he turned away from her dry heaving on the pavement and wincing as the pain in his ribs erupted anew.

"We've got to move him before we attract more attention," Raul murmured as he helped dab at Zack's brow.

"Well, we can't just pick him up, we need a stretcher or something that can be used as one…" Lisa replied, "James, Shane! Both of you try and find something we can move Zack with. Cassandra, I need you to make sure Zack stays awake while I tend to his wounds, he could have a concussion."

James and Shane went back into the convenience store, searching for something that could be used to move their wounded comrade. The police sergeant felt a twinge of guilt at Zack's current state. He just kept shooting and shooting at that monstrosity, barely even slowing it down and he hadn't the sense to get out of the damn way. After battling the enormous tanks as many times he and his crew had in the past few months, James thought that by now he, of all people, would have known to move when something huge was barreling towards him. And now that kid's life was in danger. Shane's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Just what the hell was that thing, anyways? It was much different than a tank…" the librarian murmured as he pulled out a long wooden board from the back of the counter.

"A charger. Remember on the radio how they described them? On one side they have a huge arm and the remaining arm is weak and shriveled," James replied helping Shane with the board.

Shane inspected the piece of wood, "Think this'll be big and sturdy enough to move Zack into the van?"

"It should be. We don't have anything to keep him strapped to it, but I think if we have one person on each side to keep him steady we won't have any problems."

"That kid is brave, I'll give him that."

"Yeah… Brave." James murmured as they brought the board out to Lisa who had just finished wrapping Zack's wounds. The boy was still awake blinking slowly as the rain pattered once more. Lisa smiled, happy they could find something to move him with. It seemed Raul and Cassandra had managed to move an old tarp underneath him in the meantime. Shane and Raul took one side while James and Cassandra took another. On Lisa's count they hoisted the tarp and Zack with it onto the board.

"Alright, Raul you help carry one end. Shane, Cassandra take either side of him and keep him steady. Lisa get the van's trunk open." James instructed. The van's trunk was already open though and much of the provisions had been organized to one side to make room for the makeshift stretcher. Natalie smiled at them as she crawled out of the trunk and made way for them to slide Zack inside the vehicle. Lisa sat in the back with Zack, keeping an eye on him. Natalie sat in the second row just behind the driver's seat. Once everyone had situated themselves, her father took over as the driver, turning the ignition and speeding off down the road as dawn began to break.

They had a terribly close encounter, and nearly lost a teammate. If they were lucky they would soon make it to a pick up station for evacuees. Natalie kept glancing back at Zack every few minutes, scared that her friend would fade away any moment.

"He'll be alright, Natalie," came Lisa's voice, "He just needs to stay awake for the time being. In a few hours I'll try and give him some water."

'_What he needs most of all is a team of trained medical professionals. I could only do so much for him out there, and even now… Lord, please let Zack make it through this._' Lisa thought to herself as she continued dabbing at the boy's forehead.

X

Terra groaned softly as she woke from her heavy sleep. Looking down she realized why and nearly had a panic attack. The hunter was lying right on top of her. Memories from the previous day flashed in her mind and she recalled him walking to her, on all fours no less, and then lying down, his head resting just above her naval. The sudden fear slowly melted away but she did have one thing to worry over: he was still asleep. Waking him up might prove to be more trouble and pain than what it would be worth.

The hunter stirred and sat up yawning widely, the rows of sharp teeth gleaming from the morning light. He stretched and headed towards one of the cans of food, knocking it down and then rolling it to his pack member. Terra couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her. She grabbed the can and pulled out her hunting knife, carving it open. She iwas/i still pretty hungry, even after having the spinach and yams for dinner the night before. What Skoll had sent her way was a can of Campbell's chicken and rice soup. Terra was careful as she sipped the cold broth, making sure the metal wouldn't cut her. After her breakfast she grabbed three cans of food and put them in the bag with her ammo.

It was all she could hope to carry without it weighing her down. For once Terra actually followed the hunter's example and stretched her arms and legs. She glanced at her travel companion who was waiting at the door, and beyond the door were more infected. Terra explored the rest of the safe house first, and sure enough there was another entrance. To her surprise there weren't any infected, and the further she went she thought she heard a radio. She grabbed her bag and her shot gun, motioning for the hunter to follow her.

Skoll's ears also caught the sound of the radio and he cocked his head in interest. He followed Terra through the door, waiting for her to shut it quietly behind them. They were right next to a security room, which had been spattered and smeared with the blood of infected and survivor alike. She shut the door and barricaded it for the time being before sitting at the table with the radio. It sounded as though whoever was speaking through it was looking for survivors. Her heart skipped a beat and she reached for the microphone and stopped herself.

Todd had told her he and his friends were also looking for more survivors when they crossed paths at the town square. He told Terra that he and his buddies were rounding up survivors and then heading off to the nearest evacuation pickup. As night began to fall she began to worry that his friends had been hurt. But he seemed so sure of himself that they were okay. Then suddenly her world exploded into pain, her vision blacking out as something struck the back of her skull. When she woke up, Terra found herself tied to a chair along with two other women who she later learned were Maggie and Gertrude. Scared but also angry, she demanded to know what was going on. Todd seemed more than happy to tell her he was only rounding up survivors. _Female_ survivors. She had never once thought that in a time such as this _anyone _could do what he had done to her. It was then Todd and Randall explained to the three of them that just as the infection broke out in their county, there was a prison break. And the seven of them were just lucky enough to elude the police.

Terra felt embarrassed right then. Embarrassed she could have been so fucking stupid. What was the first lesson mommy and daddy taught her when she was little? Never trust or go anywhere with a stranger. She broke one of the most important rules, and now she was going to suffer for it. Maggie, a fiery tempered red head, had asked them just what the hell they planned on doing with her and the others. Jason only licked is lips and wiggled his eyebrows at her, but Terra had an idea of what he was alluding to. She felt as though a ball of ice formed in her stomach and it took everything she had in her not to start crying. The first night was the worst of all. Her screams mixed with Gertrude's screams and Maggie's. Although…the red head was screaming swears and curses at them more than screaming in pain. Damning them, telling them that the demons of hell would have the best of times sodomizing them like they sodomized their "filthy inbred, whore of a mother"…

Maggie was a tough one for those bastards to crack; she was a fighter and she seemed to be filled with a blackened rage even before they had raped her. Terra later learned from Maggie that her team had been ambushed; the men were all killed. Of the three men, one was her father, another was her brother Kenneth, and the last was her husband Vincent.

"I'm going to tear them all apart if given the chance… Just wait, I'm going to paint this cabin red with their blood," she would say.

Gertrude had been the quietest of them, and she was the first one to snap. After three days she began doing things to hurt herself to try and end her life. Unfortunately, being bound to a post in the basement made that difficult. And the convicts only found it hilarious how she'd hurt herself. On occasion they would untie her but always caught her just before she made it out of the basement. They would toy with her and laugh at her…and pass the poor woman around. Maggie would always bite out, "Can you blame her for wanting to get away? Who wouldn't want to kill themselves after being touched by disgusting, trashy, inhuman filth like _you_?"

Such things always ended badly for her whether it was a beating, burning her with cigarettes or anything else that came to hand, and of course sexually abusing her. One morning both Terra and Maggie awoke to the sounds of Gertrude violently shaking in her bonds, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Maggie had told Terra not to look; Gertrude was in her death throes…

Not long after Gertrude's death Maggie also followed suit but in a much crueler way; Terra only knew of how her friend died because Todd delighted in letting her know what happened. Jason and Randall had cut Maggie's bonds but still had her hands tied behind her back. They led her upstairs and out the front door. They told her to leave, to get the hell out because they were tired of her being a mouthy bitch.

"She walked so slow," Todd's words echoed in Terra's mind as she placed her hand on the table. Skoll cocked his head at her trying to understand what she was doing.

"That dumb cunt knew she wasn't gonna make it out alive. I think she was just counting her steps and biding her time before we told Mike to pull the trigger. Bitch flopped on her stomach!" he had howled with laughter, as she fought back her tears.

Terra opened her eyes and looked down at the hunter crouched in front of her. Things were different this time. This infected…this hunter had already shown her he wouldn't let anything happen to her. If who she was going to contact on the radio was anything like Todd and his asshole friends, well…maybe the hunter could save her. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and pressed the button, speaking into the microphone.

"H-hello?" Terra spoke.

"Hello? Hello? Is there someone there? Please answer!"

Silence, and then she spoke up again, "Yes…yes. I'm Terra."

"Thank goodness… Paul, we got a live one here!"

"I'm on it Harold. Terra sweetie, what's your location?"

"U-um, I'm in the town of Red Acre." she replied, her voice becoming a little shaky. What if they were like Todd…? What if they were "rounding up survivors" like Todd?

"Ah, shit…" Harold cursed, "Hon, Red Acre is too closed in for us to come and pick you up. There is a radio station the next county over with a helicopter landing up top. You're gonna have to head south though. When you make it, immediately radio in and head up to the top of the building. Someone will be able to pick you up."

"Oh…ok… Thank you." Terra stated before standing up and shouldering her bag. She would have to travel to the next county if she wanted to get out of this nightmare alive. Skoll stood and followed her out the door. The sunlight was cut by the overcast sky, a thick fog seemed to blanket the town of Red Acre. Terra cursed, knowing it would be harder to spot infected, especially the special infected. She made it this far with an infected at her side, she could make it to the station. From there though, she knew she and her hunter companion would have to part ways…

**/**

**And that's the end of chapter 5.** **As always, read and review and don't be shy to give me some constructive critique. :3**


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